Cannabis was outlawed on a back-drop which consisted almost entirely of racism and bigotry. Back at the start of the 20th century, Harry J Anslinger used racist remarks of the strongest kind, to illustrate his reasons for keeping marijuana out of the hands of the American people.

During this period, the southern states of America were under huge economic pressure from a tide of mexican immigrants, who were running from Pancho Villa's revolutionary forces, and a short step across the border into the USA seemed the easy option for many.

When they came they brought with them almost unlimited amounts of cheap labour, which local cotton/tobacco farmers revelled in as they were able to employ farm-labour at around 25% of the going rate for employing "indiginous" labour. This was during a recession. 

But with the good came the bad according to the US administration. The Mexican influx is said to have transported marijuana into the US, and the rest as they say, is history. 

Anslinger used phrases like "With one marijuana cigarette a black man thinks he is as good as a white man", to turn the jittery sourthern states against the mexicans and against marijuana.

Today in 2008, and with the weight of scientific evidence to back up the efficacy of cannabis one would assume we were a little more civilised? But according to the following story, it would appear not. 

The bigotry against cannabis users, be they officially sanctioned, or otherwise, continues! 

A University Medical Center committee decided this after it was found that he used medical marijuana. One week later, Garon has died.

Garon was in an intensive care nursing center at the Bailey-Boushay House trying to get as much care as possible, but it was not enough.